Toowoomba commercial mixed-use precinct Vue @ Habitat plans lodged with council, to service Habitat Mt Kynoch subdivision

A developer has lodged plans for a $65m commercial precinct north of Toowoomba, which will bring essential services to a massive new masterplanned community.

It’s got five eateries, a petrol station, two drive-throughs, a pub and even a supermarket — and it’s going to help service Toowoomba’s newest suburb.

Sunshine Coast-based developer Sam Morris lodged plans last week with the Toowoomba Regional Council to create a new $65m mixed-use commercial precinct along the New England Highway at Mount Kynoch.

Dubbed Vue @ Habitat, the extensive project will sit directly next to and cater for the underdevelopment $200m Habitat Mt Kynoch housing project that will create homes for thousands of new residents.

Concept art for the new Vue @ Habitat mixed-use commercial precinct along the New England Highway, which will service the new Habitat Mount Kynoch masterplanned community north of Toowoomba.

The 147-hectare housing estate, first conceived in 2017 and subsequently approved by council, will help bridge the urban footprint between Toowoomba and Highfields – creating the need for social and commercial infrastructure.

Submitted as three development applications (DA) and covering 6600 sqm, Vue @ Habitat will host a service station with a food and drink outlet, two drive-through restaurants, GP clinic, pharmacy, vet, two gyms, pub, drive-through bottle shop and five walk-in eateries.

The plans also include space for a smaller-scale supermarket like Coles Express, IGA or Harris Farms.

Concept art for the new Vue @ Habitat mixed-use commercial precinct along the New England Highway, which will service the new Habitat Mount Kynoch masterplanned community north of Toowoomba.

Mr Morris said the project was needed to not only cater for Habitat but also the growing northern area of the Toowoomba region.

“Areas north of Toowoomba are seeing population growth at more than double the rate of Toowoomba itself,” he said.

Aspect Architects and Project Managers’ Wade Eiser, who designed the precinct, said care had been taken to consider its visual impacts.

Concept art for the new Vue @ Habitat mixed-use commercial precinct along the New England Highway, which will service the new Habitat Mount Kynoch masterplanned community north of Toowoomba.

“The structures are nestled into the hill allowing the rooflines to reflect the distant horizon and the materiality will complement the natural habitat,” he said.

Aspect development manager Mark McErvale said the firm hoped to see construction start by early 2025.

One of the three DAs (containing the service station) is impact-assessable, meaning community consultation will need to be run before it goes to a future special meeting of council.

This is despite the entire residential and commercial development area of Habitat being covered by a planning variation, which was approved by the council in February 2021.